


Knew Where Home Was

by EveryDayBella



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Discussion of rings, Fluff, M/M, This is so soft, Why have contract signing angst, boys who love each other, cause this is so soft, contract signing fluff, did I mention they're soft?, home is home, if you can't have, making plans for the future, not the championship rings, the other kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:04:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveryDayBella/pseuds/EveryDayBella
Summary: Tyler signs a contract. Jamie wants to celebrate. Home is made.





	Knew Where Home Was

“Okay boys.” Marshell, Cash, Gerry watched him with excited eyes, Gerry having the hardest time to keep from wiggling. Even in the dim light, Jamie could tell they hadn’t taken their eyes off the cupcake Jamie had set on the kitchen island. “You guys are going to help me surprise your dad when he comes back downstairs, right?”

 

Cash whined and moved to lay down, Gerry licked his lips, and Marshall looked completely unimpressed with Jamie’s whole plan. “Look it was short notice okay? I’m sure she could have done something more extravagant, but I’m also sure it tastes good so it doesn’t matter. Besides, camp starts tomorrow and this is way off the diet plan.”

 

“Who are you talking too?” Tyler is scratching at his head, his curls already starting to grow out, as he walked into the kitchen. Gerry jumped up and ran for him while Marshall and Cash stayed put. 

 

Jamie rolled his eyes at them. “Some help you are.” Jamie muttered at them before turning back to Tyler. “How did it go?”

 

“Um, it's basically done.” Tyler shrugged, and stood up from the stoop he was in to pat Gerry. “There’s some minor things to iron out. They’ll announce tomorrow, I’ll sign before we leave and that's it.”

 

“You sound a little apprehensive. I told you not to let Nill or Ian talk you into anything you don’t want.”

 

“They didn’t.” Tyler waved him off and leaned on the opposite side of the island from him. “All this just happened really fast.”

 

“Well you always did know how to get your way.” Jamie grinned and Tyler finally cracked a relieved smile. 

 

“I really didn’t do that thing at camp on purpose.”

 

“I know.” Jamie assured him and then pushed the plastic box across the island to Tyler. “Congratulations.”

 

“What’s this?” Tyler chuckled, his long fingers twisting the box around to see it from every angle. 

 

“Just a little congratulations on signing your big contract. It’s from that place downtown that Spez got the girls birthday cakes from. Whisky Chocolate cake and pistachio cream icing.”

 

The icing was vivid green. Jamie would almost say it was victory green. He’d stuck a mini puck in it with their logo on it. It wasn’t anything special, certainly not what Jamie felt Tyler deserved, but he’d been honest with the dogs. He really hadn’t had much time and rush hour traffic had been a bitch in a half as well. 

 

For a moment Jamie thought that Tyler didn’t like it, but then he recognized the wealth of emotions running across his face before he cleared it. “Grab some forks and a couple beers. Dietary blow out time!”

 

Jamie laughed and did as he was told while Tyler left the room holding his cake, the dogs following in his wake. Jamie found him in the den just a little bit later. Jamie sat on the couch next to him pushing Gerry off in the process. Tyler threw his legs across Jamie’s, curling in close with the box, now open, held in the palm of his hand between them. Jamie banished the forks he had and rumbled, “Choose your weapon.”

 

“At least I didn’t use a spoon.” Tyler snickered in a poor imitation of Alan Rickman. He plucked one of the forks and took a large bite, moaning obscenely and making Jamie suddenly very uncomfortable. “Fuck you weren’t kidding. That is good.”

 

“Glad you like it.” 

 

They’re quiet for a moment. Tyler had only turned on one light, the lamp next to the couch, which left most of the room in shadow. Jamie couldn’t take his eyes off Tyler, the auburn curls around his ears or the soft look in his brown eyes. With the play of the shadows across him Jamie could almost see a much younger version of him and it was messing with his mind. 

 

“So how much are they offering you?” Jamie asked, pushing crumbs around the bottom of the box with his fork and subtly pushing the bigger remaining pieces towards Tyler’s side.

 

“9.85 mil. I’m making more than you.” Tyler grinned, part smug and part pleased. 

 

“Not by much.” Jamie rolled his eyes. “You know they’re under paying you right?”

 

“Yeah, trust me. Ian wouldn’t let me hang up without knowing. If you push it into the season you can get more money out of them. JT got 11 on the open market. You could too.”

 

“It’s his job and you know he’s right.”

 

“Maybe.” Tyler shrugged, putting the empty box on the coffee table. Gerry climbed up on to his lap and Tyler rubbed behind his ears, tangling his fingers into the dogs fur. The other hand somehow ends up in Jamie’s hair, rubbing soothing circles into the skin just behind his ear. Jamie was pretty sure it was the same movement that he did with the dogs, but he was also well past the point of caring. He just wanted Tyler’s hands on him. “But look at it this way. Connor McDavid got all that money, and nothing against him, but now the Oilers can’t build anything around him. I think pretty highly of myself and you, but we aren’t winning a cup on our own.”

 

“I’ll drink to that.” They tapped the tips of their bottles together, a tradition as old as time played out in their den. “You didn’t have to stay though.”

 

“Did you not want me to stay?”

 

“Course I do.” Jamie was a creature of habit and after five years of Tyler filling space it would be a tough habit to break. “Besides I’d be terrible at all distance.”

 

“You would. You struggle talking on the phone to your mom.” 

 

“Fuck off.” Jamie muttered without any real heat. 

 

“Can be arranged.” The leer on his face gives away what he’s really saying. Jamie rolls his eyes overly fond. It always comes down to a few things. When he’s being honest it's one of the things he loves about Tyler. 

 

Maybe it's the quiet of the house, or the soft lighting, or the peace and calm that comes from knowing neither of them are going away, that his tongue gets loose and he says the first thing that pops into his mind. “You know I half expected you to bring me a ring from Toronto.”

 

“A ring?” Tyler's face echos the confusion in his voice. “But we haven’t won that ring yet? How can I bring you a championship ring?”

 

“Tyler, what do guys with serious girlfriends buy them after they sign their big contract?”

 

“Oh.” Then Tyler’s eyes widen as the realization settles in and his lips drop into a surprised “o” that makes him think of something else. “Oh. You’d want that kind of ring?”

 

Jamie shrugs. They haven’t talked about it, but he’s known for a long time that Tyler was it for him. “I mean, we probably couldn’t do anything till we retired and I see that being a long way off, but I don’t see why we would have to wait for this. Unless you're thinking about leaving me now that you've got your money.”

 

“Never.” Tyler denied vehemently, shifting so that he’s straddling Jamie’s thighs, hands anchored across broad shoulders. Jamie’s arms wrap around Tyler’s waist, holding him close as if of their own accord. “Are you sure though? I’m not always the easiest person to be around and my dogs shed on everything, and I’m still not really good at being a grown up. You might get tired of...muph.”

 

Jamie kissed him just to shut him before he could say anything else stupid. It wasn’t often anymore that Tyler’s insecurities got the better of him and Jamie wasn’t going to let this conversation be one of those times. Tyler melted into him anyway, soft around the edges the way he only was in Jamie’s arms. Then he wasn’t kissing Tyler for the quiet but just for pleasure of his lips. 

 

Tyler pulled away after an eternity reaching for his phone and grinning when he settled back on Jamie’s lap with it. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Looking for a jewelry store in Boise.”

 

“What? You are not getting me a ring in Idaho. Give me that!”

 

He reached for the phone, but Tyler faught him for it, laughing the whole time. The dogs started barking and trying to seperate them until they were tangle of dog and human limbs. Jamie laughed and Tyler giggled, and they were outnumbered three to two. 

 

Jamie realized that this was his life now. Tyler and the dogs and Dallas and hockey. They would announce tomorrow and then there was training camp and another season ahead of them. Tyler would get him a ring and Jamie would get him one. They would tell the people who trusted to know. Jordie would laugh and pretend not to get emotional about it. 

 

They would play out the rest of their careers, however long that was, right where they belonged. In their city, with their team. Home. 

 

And after everything, after they’d played till they could play no more and there was no one else to please they would make it all official. 

 

Jamie reeled Tyler back in to another more possessive kiss. Tomorrow they would go be what everyone else needed them to be. For tonight they were home, for good, and that was something worth celebrating. 


End file.
